下午茶 (1)

一个晴天的星期二下午，出去买些东西却找不到我要的，白跑一趟。肚子有点饿了，让我在附近物色一下吃的吧！

好，沿着这道路，见到有不少车停泊在那看似路边住家，却有卖吃喝的，我也来一试。若不熟悉这里，大概会经过它而没察觉，因为我也几乎错过那入口。不过提起它的店名，恐怕算是在本地远近驰名的。

这里没有冷气设备，只有风扇和自然风。炎热的天气，还算舒服的。 我点了茶点，找了座位后环顾四周，多是叔叔伯伯老板型的顾客在享用下午茶和聊天，大概也同时在谈生意吧！

蛋挞还有余温；面包则没有，却看起来不错。

下午茶当然少不了饮料。这二人份的饮食共RM5。

食物被端上来了。虽没有大城市里名牌连锁店的精致杯碟的搭配，却有小镇朴实的味道。付了钱后便开动了。松软的面包，好香呢。我不能想像若是刚出炉而温热时，香气会是多引人垂涎三尺呢？正想着，我见到一名女侍者提着两袋圆圆的面包递给邻桌的叔叔，大概近二十个外带的面包。我再次猜测，这里的面包该是名不虚传吧？

Coin Pouch

I sewed a coin pouch which can accommodate coins and a library card as per request.

This is the first time I sew a pouch padded with fleece batting. It increases difficulties for me to handle thicker edge. Anyhow, I feel good when I touch and hold it which is padded with batting.

I am glad that the recipient of this pouch likes it too.
I will make more as I enjoy sewing such pouch.

Puppies

Here are other cute puppies. There are more siblings here.

Watching their daily behavior, they are similar to human kids. Playing with their siblings, fighting and even barking to each other! It is funny that the way they run is just like drunk as they are still learning to run.

I like to play with them.

They look so eager for someone to play with them and pat them.

They look so curious at my camera too.

Pets II

Four siblings are grown up together. They still cry when the weather is hot.

Look, can you differentiate which is which? Their colors are so similar.

Well, they look like their mother which is of Doberman breed while the father is of Rottweiler breed.

They are agile.

Proper Bookstore is Nowhere

In the past, I was staying in town and city which have bookstores.

I love reading and I can go to a bookstore spending my leisure time before I buy any books.

This has become my history.

I have shifted to a small town for a simpler life.

I have nowhere to go when I feel I want to flip through hardcopy of new books and do some books shopping!

Well, I think I should catch up with the technology and do books shopping from the e-bookstores.

However, the feel is totally different. Should a simple life equivalent to no books shopping at traditional bookstores? I wonder.

Small Handmade Crafts

I came across a mini portable sewing machine when I travelled few months ago. It looked cute as if it was a toy. It can only perform simple sewing function. I bought it for fun.

This is the first craft that I used the new stapler-like sewing machine to sew. I want to try out this sewing machine. Here is the cup coaster.

My second craft that using this mini machine is a pencil case pouch. I follow the tutorial in noodlehead tutorial. Before I finish it, my niece and nephews request to own it. Now I only have one, I need to make more as per their requests.

The zip tab is too small and not easy to pull. I use a beads-craft from BeadsLuvr. It looks much better and easier to pull.

Hand Foot Mouth Disease

After reading "zakkaArt: Simple Happiness: a good news and a bad one" about the blogger's child having Hand Foot Mouth disease, it recalls my experience.

It was an afternoon that I started feeling cold in office. I guessed it was due to cooling weather as it was drizzling outside. Later on, I felt colder and sick. I could not concentrate at work. Hence I left the office 2.5 hour earlier. It was around 4pm and I was heading to a panel clinic near my house. I waited for a bus and went to a train station. From the train station, I must transit at a crowded train interchange before I could reach the clinic. On the train, there was no vacant seat available as I believed it was the time just after schooling. It was such a long journey for me to stand all the way for more than 1 hour. Finally I reached the clinic before 5.30pm. There were about 6 patients before my turn. I was sitting there and waited for long.

The doctor measured my temperature few times and told me that I have high fever. She was so kind that advised me to take a taxi home as it was raining outside.

I rested at home the next day as per doctor advice. Fever had gone but the base of my feet started feeling pain when I walked. On the third day, I went to the clinic again before going to office. It was another doctor on duty. I showed him the red dots under my feet. I told him I suspect it is HFMD. He shook his head and told me that I was allergic to the Panadol that I had taken 2 days ago. Hence after the one day rest, I went to office and walked slowly for the whole day.

After all, 4 of my family members started sick and their doctors confirmed that they have Hand Foot Mouth Disease. One of the doctors even advised them to stay at home for 2 weeks.

(picture shows my recovering foot)
I believed I was sick due to this same disease. When the blisters appeared under my feet, I confirmed that it was Hand Foot Mouth Disease. I was the one who spread the disease to them. I was so curious that why the doctor unable to diagnose it when I showed him my bare feet?

刁曼岛七月游

那年朋友计划了一趟刁曼岛之旅，还约了我一起去放松身心，一切由她安排好，我只顾向上司申请假期就可以了。然而她选的日子刚好不偏不倚地落在农历七月十四！见她一股热情，我也不好提醒她，这段日子不恰当或有所忌讳，免得扫兴。

他们从东马飞过来与我会合，三人便一起乘晚间长途巴士，凌晨到达Mersing，再转搭船过去。抵达后离开码头往上望，树上“挂”满了蝙蝠！我还误以为是一些果子，是“城里入乡”吗？
抵达后我非常累，但他们却精力充沛地安排着丰富的活动。

中午我们乘住宿提供的免费小巴下山去逛，物色一些免税物品。随后我们便在大路旁等免费小巴回住宿去。中午炎炎太阳下，左等右等就是不见它经过。等了整个小时才听路边有人告知那些员工都在罢工，劝我们不用再苦等了。

天啊，我们半信半疑，打算顶着大太阳，慢慢步行上那个小山坡，一边往住宿方向走，一边等司机大哥开工吧。结果还是靠自己双腿到达目的地。

下午要去骑驴子，但那是有时间性的，我们刚好错过了。负责人叫我们下午四点钟再来，我们便回渡假屋休息。结果我们累得一觉到四点。急忙跑去骑驴子。幸好这样迟到也还让我们进去。

这是我第一次骑驴子，感觉高得令我害怕。虽没摔下来，却意料之外的把屁股皮肤擦伤，痛了好几天。友人没事，因为穿的是较厚的牛仔裤。

来到这海岛，有这么漂亮的海边，不谙水性的我对脚下的浅水已蠢蠢欲动。友人一直劝我一起下去玩。她信心十足的告诉我，有她在绝不用害怕。于是我们一起戏水，而我也不小心喝了不少海水。所以可以感受在海里呼吸困难的恐惧。

从这海边回住宿时，我才惊觉原来友人也是旱鸭子。庆幸没事发生，尤其在这七月十四，别笑我迷信！这个日子总令我有所顾忌。

午后，我们要尝试在海边静静地领听大自然的声音：海声与风声。于是我们到另一个海边找座位，许多游客静静躺在睡椅上，座无虚席。我的朋友都拿大毛巾舖在一棵大树下席地而睡午觉。我也学他们。心想这么累，该会是个很甜的午觉吧。 岂料人算不如天算。一群本地年轻人跑来我们旁边坐下並大声闹了很久也不离去，破坏了整个气氛。

我们收拾东西回住宿，半途遇到了几只猴子。我们停下来看它们吃东西。突然间，最大只也最凶的猴子也许被友人惊吓而只对我一人咧牙追逐，把我吓得边喊边跑，友人却只在旁看笑话。
短短的旅程，虽累但很开心。事隔三年的今天仍令我回味无穷。试问工作多年后，有多少人还能腾出时间与当年的同窗好友出游去？

（感谢以上照片皆由友人Hiew 为我们拍摄。）

Birthday Card

It was my nephew birthday and he always asks me to send him a greeting card. I was busy working everyday and almost forgot his request. Just few days before his birthday, he called me saying that he is waiting for my card!

I did not want to disappoint this little boy. I put down the phone and quickly searched for any recycle or reusable material to make a card for him. I had limited material. Finally, I used an unwanted card, some felt, cut some pictures from advertisement, stickers and wrapping paper to complete a card for him.

He loves eating and hence I decided to make some 'food' for him in the card. I stuffed the egg yolk with some cotton and sew it. Here it was.


It was a simple card. Yet, he was still happy with the card although he received it after his birthday.

Red Bean Bun

My friend loves the red bean bun from a bakery in this town. She recommends that it is not too sweet and just nice. She definitely buys it when she comes for holiday. Well, I finally have a chance to buy it from the shop for my breakfast today.

Oh my goodness! Look! There is a big hole inside with little red bean paste. It has too much empty space inside the bun. I try the second bun, it is the same. I'm not sure whether it is due to cut cost nowadays as my friend recommended me one year ago.

Pets

I was busy tidying up my room and packing my stuff for the past few weeks before I travelled.

One of the pets in the house where I transit at that town and stay few days is the dog called 'Boy'. He likes to peep into the house and he looks like a cartoon character.

Finally I come to this small town which has high blackout frequency. The weather here is very hot. The 10-days-old crying puppies become quiet immediately after the fan is switched on for them!

Origami Lucky Stars

The Labor Day falls on a Saturday this year. We had nowhere to go as we expected everywhere would be crowded. The kids took some paper strips and asked me for help. They wanted to have some origami lucky stars. I did this many years ago. My late sister taught me and we folded them together. I still keep the stars we folded in a jar. Hence I took it out and showed it to the kids. Then I showed them the steps to fold these five point stars.

We finished folding the stars very soon. Kids were happy and spent the time easily.

They wondered if the stars shining in the dark. We took out the stars at night and put them in the dark. There was no shining at all. Then we took them under dim light. ‘Yes! They are shining a little bit!’ Kids get excited easily.
They learnt origami during this holiday and they did not feel boring anymore even though they only stayed at home.

My First Handmade Zakka

I was fascinated by some hand craft books recently especially those cute fabric zakka without using sewing machine. This has initiated my interest to start working on them instead of enjoy viewing only.

During my trip to Kyoto, I have bought two pieces of fabric. I had no idea what to do with them when I bought them. Now, I tried my very first and simple work on small pouches with these materials. Out of my interest and requirement, here are my first zakka for my own use. One of the advantages to make some zakka on our own is that, we can make any size that we require.

I believe it is never too late to start learning new skills for old hobby.

高档拉面？

我平日什少在外吃晚餐。友人的工作是週末较忙，因此我们那天约好在一个工作日晚上吃一顿。听说某间餐馆的食物不错，于是我们便走过去。门外已有很多人在排队。如果是週末，岂不更多人！我们通常遇到这种情形都会掉头走去找其它地方。不过这次我们有的是时间，反正也还不饿，就跟着排队好了。

排到门口时闻到了一些香味，我们猜测花时间等这一餐，大概值得吧！我们等了35分钟才有位子。肚子也开始饿了。很快我们点了两碗菜单上註明受欢迎的拉面，及一碟莲藕片。

餐馆里大概容纳50人。灯光微暗，播放着吵杂的音乐，夹杂顾客们的声音。友人很快觉得闷热，猜想着餐馆在省电，所以感觉不到冷气的凉意。而我则认为这样可以让客人尽快吃了就走，不占位子太久。

食物很快端来了。第一口莲藕片实在太咸了！也许上面太多盐巴。于是我们试下面的另一片，一样是那么咸，我们开始失望了。拉面更有趣。汤头上有很多葱粒，面条不多，两片薄猪肉片，两小片木耳及少许萝卜丝。除了汤的味道还可以之外，其余的都很普通，实在与‘高尚‘的价格不对称。

我们吃得汗流浃背，也不多说，只想尽快吃了离开。出来后，我们都不约而同的摇头，失望之余，也认定不要再来吃了。当时还有很多人在排队等位子呢！尔后我们便去另一个地方找甜品边吃边聊天。

这次的经验教训我，不要以为很多人排队等就必定有‘好康’。别人说不错的食物，也未必普遍上被认同的。

甜点"牛屎挞"

我从小就很常吃到这种俗称‘牛屎挞’或‘牛屎塔’的甜点了。虽然名称不雅，却不会令人听得倒胃。在店里它有着'cream tart'的标签。以前的造型是上面的甜奶油向上捲，顶端呈尖形，正像我家外面不时看到的牛屎状。下面那层饼，有类似蛋糕边缘或面包之间的口感。

我还以为这是很普遍的呢，直到我离开家乡才知道外面找不到这种甜点。

我曾经突然好想吃它，跑到我家附近的西饼店问。老板娘亲自烘培糕饼卖，为人友善。她在尝试自己的新糕点，还叫我品尝给意见。这下她被我问得很好奇，还说希望见识一下。
有一回友人带了一些'牛屎挞'过来给我，我便拿了一个给这位西饼店老板娘。期望她吃过也能做出来，那我以后便很容易买得到。不过，她靦腆地撕一小口吃，然后问我拿'牛屎挞'的食谱。我当然没有啦。

话说会偶尔想起'牛屎挞'的游子肯定不止我。有一次认识了一位大哥哥，竟然也谈起'牛屎挞'！ 他印象中，只有最老招牌的那家做得最好吃。而我，已不知哪家是老字号了，我什至还担心好吃的'牛屎挞'会失传吗？

我对麦田捕手感好奇

话说沙林杰的《麦田捕手》（英文版’The catcher in the rye’，by J.D.Salinger）这本小说在1951年出版时被定为只限成人阅读的书，尔后却被称为“美国中学生必读的一本书”。但孤陋寡闻的我最近才知道有这么一部小说。我不清楚什么是麦田捕手，书本前后也没有简介，所以对它倍感好奇。

它从头到尾穿插很多粗话在句子里，所以我读得很不顺畅。

故事主要描述一个十六岁青少年霍尔顿，除了英文科之外，其它四科全都不及格，因而四度被不同学校开除。整个故事围绕在他被退学后，准备回家的几天当中,流浪，思考与所发生的事情。

接近故事尾声，他对妹妹提到自己希望成为一名麦田捕手。我好奇的名词终于出现了！原来他幻想着在一大片麦田里有一大群小孩子玩游戏或狂奔。而附近除了他，没有一个大人。他就站在悬崖边守备。要是有哪个孩子往悬崖边跑来，他就把这小孩抓住。

主角对周围的人大都不满，时常埋怨他们虚情假意。例如人们首次见面时很常说的“很高兴认识你”，而他一点也不高兴。他认为“你要是想要在这世界上活下去，就得说这一类的话”。从青少年的角度看成人世界里类似的无奈，描写得令人会心一笑。

《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》

今年农历新年无处可去，只有乖乖呆在家。还好的是我有书作伴，看完了一本十多年前出版的书----保罗•科尔贺的《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》。

故事描述一个男孩，圣地雅各，告诉父亲，他不想当神父，只想去旅行。隔天父亲给了他一个装了三枚西班牙古金币的钱袋。于是他买了一群羊，到处走的牧羊生活便从此开始了。旅行两年后，男孩作了两次相同的金字塔宝藏梦。经过一些内心挣扎后，结果他卖了羊儿，长途跋涉，途经沙漠往金字塔去。

而这一路上的遭遇，令他内心矛盾，省悟；或从环境，别人身上学到了些哲理。整个故事的背后，不也反映了我们人生路途上的迷惘？正如书本的副题：“牧羊少年的故事不仅带领世界读者探索生命的宝藏，也让许多人找到自己。”“世界上的每一个人都有一个宝藏正在等着他。”

这本书重复了一句话：“当你真心渴望某样东西时，整个宇宙都会联合起来帮助你完成。” 不过，我更喜欢另一句：“没有一颗心会因为追求梦想而受伤。”

美术课

我也许缺乏美术细胞，美术是我最差的科目。还好，它没有标准答案，所以我不至於不及格。

曾经，老师规定一星期要交出两幅图画。我们可以堆积欠画到学期末之前‘还清’。有一次，就是在限期到了，要赶四幅画，我为了画画而开夜车。那是我高中的事情了。

如今，我看到比我当年更可怜的影子。不过才小二的小朋友，花了几个晚上在赶画四幅图画和上颜色。一个不小心，颜色塗歪了。他开始哭了起来。我劝他不要哭，把塗歪的浅色换个深色就可以遮掩了。没想到他说，老师规定不论图案或颜色都必须跟着老师的标准，否则会挨骂。这个老师很凶，同学们都很怕他。我听了很惊讶。美术，不是让小朋友发挥创意的科目吗？就算要跟老师的标准，也不必跟得那么没自由空间吧？都什么时代了？那样一味跟得死板板，小朋友的潜能和想象力都被抹杀了，这科目还有何意义？

话说时代在变，教育方式也跟着变。被推崇的芬兰教育，不也鼓励孩子们发挥创意吗？我看着他，爱莫能助，只有可怜他的份儿了。

就是爱书

我在一个小地方长大。那里至今还没有一间像样的书局。所以从小除了学校用的书本外，没有什么机会接触课外书。顶多是在学校假期到图书馆借一些书而已，不过印象中那里的选择也不多。我也不知道为何在这样缺乏书的环境里也会培养到喜欢书的兴趣。最近才听友人说，根据他读的命理书，我是适合多接触和多收藏书以便带来更好的运气。哦！原来如此。

随着年龄增长，环境变化而会对不同类型的书有所喜好。对于能引起共鸣感的，令人恍然大悟的书，我都会视它们为值得一读的书。我也喜欢告诉朋友有关读过有趣的书本，与他们分享精彩的部份或简介。若他们对那本书开始有兴趣，就会去找来读。否则，也让他们知道那本书不适合他们的口味。不然，他们总说没时间找到喜欢的书来看。我也知道看了内容空洞的书，感觉就是浪费时间。所以大家交换读后感也不错。

现今社会有一股趋势，把兴趣变职业。曾经和友人聊天，她是见到书海就会心花怒放的人。爱书和分享书内容的兴趣适合转成什么职业？答案竟然是教书。真的是这样吗？

Working Hour

大阪快餐之感想

在大阪旅行时，头一天微微细雨。我们很早用晚餐。当天晚上逛书局，逛到打烊了才捨得离开。回到酒店时已经晚上十点多了，很饿。于是我们撑着伞到酒店后面不远处的快餐店来个夜宵。

话说这间快餐店在新马也有很多分行，可我从没光顾过。 我平日吃的都比较清淡，而这快餐店在新马的分行大多以煎炸食物为主，所以曾经踏步进去看了菜单就离开了。然而这次在大阪的确第一次光顾，竟然有非煎炸食物，所以很开心的在此点了猪肉饭裹腹。

看似家常便饭，热腾腾的饭菜在即饿又累的情况下特别美味。隔天晚餐我们还特地回去点同一个饭。

事隔三个月，偶然在超市买了超薄猪肉片回来。原本是农历新年火锅材料之一，结果想起了大阪那一顿饭，所以就试着煮洋葱猪肉薄片饭。原来不会太难，也可以在家做到。把大洋葱切成长细条状放进油锅里炒一会，然后加入切好的薄片猪肉炒。即将熟时加入适量盐，蚝油，黍米粉掺好的水，份量依个人喜欢。把这些肉和大洋葱铺在一碗饭上，再加上它的汁，看起来还似模似样呢！味道还挺不错。虽然味道不是百份百，也许是环境和气氛的因素吧！

其实，简单的家常饭菜都很好，可惜很多新马的快餐店都把它们忽略了。

文凭至上

Tarap

Tarap is one of my favourite fruits since I was a little kid. It is a kind of seasonal fruit and we can normally buy it around mid-autumn festival, which is around September. When the season starts or ends, they are normally sour and not sweet enough.

I did not realise it is not a common fruit even within the same country. One day, we had our language class that we learnt different kind of fruits. My teacher was from another state of the country. She asked us take turn to tell a kind of fruit but we cannot repeat the same fruit that a classmate had mentioned. We started with apple, orange, grape until almost all kind of fruits that we known had been mentioned. One of my classmate brain storming and could not tell a fruit that never been mentioned. Suddenly, he can tell loudly ‘Tarap!’ We all clapped our hands and happy for him. Yet, our teacher did not accept this answer because she never heard of it. We all knew it and tried to convinced our teacher. Finally teacher asked us “Well, how to spell ‘Tarap’?” We all kept silent because none of us knew how to write it but we like to eat it.

After I left my hometown for so many years, I missed the tarap season every year. The only thing is I still can hear it over the phone every year from my family: ‘I just had my tarap and it is so nice, but unfortunately you can’t smell it. If you come back now, you can enjoy it as there are a lot here for free.’

When I started to play around with blog creation and deciding on a blogger name, I received the similar call. I was told nowadays its season not punctual anymore due to the global environment change.

I miss tarap again, just let me name my blog with my favourite sweet tarap although I am not going to talk about tarap in my blog continuously.